Abstract Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is severe and life-threatening disease of infant gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It is a defect of GIT adaptation to extrauterine life, which affects mostly premature infants and infants afflicted by congenital developmental defects of GIT or heart. Gut barrier disruption and presence of abnormal gut microbiota has eminent role in NEC pathogenesis. Nowadays, the diagnosis of NEC is based on presence of clinical symptoms - abdominal distension, blood in stool and radiologic finding Pneumatosis intestini. However, the symptoms are in early stage of NEC non- specific and do not allow unambiguous distinguishing of NEC from other GIT disorders or sepsis. Aim of this thesis was to extend the understanding of inflammatory response in neonates with NEC and to find applicable biomarker for early diagnosis of NEC and thereby provide quick intervention. Cytokines have important role in immune response regulation. Although the connection between some cytokines and NEC was described, the inflammatory response during NEC was not yet properly stated. The levels of 40 cytokines related to inflammation was shown in this thesis. Intestinal - Fatty Acid Binding Protein (i- FABP) is a small...

The ontogeny of carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing in zebrafish (Danio rerio) has not been studied. In this thesis, CO2-mediated increases in heart rate were used to gauge the capacity of zebrafish larvae to sense CO2. CO2 is thought to be sensed through neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which are homologous to mammalian carotid body glomus cells. Owing to its role in facilitating intracellular acidification during exposure to hypercapnia, it was hypothesized that carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in CO2 sensing, and that inhibition of CA would blunt the downstream responses. The cardiac response to hypercapnia (0.75% CO2) was reduced in fish exposed to acetazolamide, a CA inhibitor, and in fish experiencing CA knockdown. Based on pharmacological evidence using β-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) antagonists, and confirmed by β1AR gene knockdown, the efferent limb of the reflex tachycardia accompanying hypercapnia is probably mediated by sympathetic adrenergic neurons interacting with cardiac β1 receptors.

The ontogeny of carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing in zebrafish (Danio rerio) has not been studied. In this thesis, CO2-mediated increases in heart rate were used to gauge the capacity of zebrafish larvae to sense CO2. CO2 is thought to be sensed through neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which are homologous to mammalian carotid body glomus cells. Owing to its role in facilitating intracellular acidification during exposure to hypercapnia, it was hypothesized that carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in CO2 sensing, and that inhibition of CA would blunt the downstream responses. The cardiac response to hypercapnia (0.75% CO2) was reduced in fish exposed to acetazolamide, a CA inhibitor, and in fish experiencing CA knockdown. Based on pharmacological evidence using β-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) antagonists, and confirmed by β1AR gene knockdown, the efferent limb of the reflex tachycardia accompanying hypercapnia is probably mediated by sympathetic adrenergic neurons interacting with cardiac β1 receptors.

Magistro baigiamasis darbas skirtas išnagrinėti tarptautinės sutarčių teisės principo pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt ir Tarptautinio Baudžiamojo Teismo Romos Statuto nuostatų santykį. Pagrindine tiriamojo darbo užduotimi autorė laiko Romos Statuto normų dėl jurisdikcijos turinio atskleidimą tiek istoriniu, tiek įtvirtinimo aspektu, o taip pat šių normų įvertinimą pacta tertiis principo kontekste. Tyrimą sudaro trys dalys. Pirmojoje dalyje aptariama Tarptautinio Baudžiamojo Teismo Statute įtvirtintos jurisdikcijos įtvirtinimo istorinės aplinkybės kaip travaux preparatoires, pateikiamas detalus Statute įtvirtintų jurisdikcinių normų aptarimas bei autorės samprotavimai dėl šių normų aiškinimo. Nagrinėjamos ratione materiae, ratione temporis, ratione personae bei ratione loci jurisdikcijos, aptariamas iniciatyvinis mechanizmas. Atskirai aptariama Jungtinių Tautų Saugumo Tarybos įtaka Romos Statuto normų įgyvendinimui. Antrojoje dalyje autorė pateikia nagrinėjamo pacta tertiis principo susiformavimo prielaidas, jo įtvirtinimą tarptautinėje sutarčių teisėje bei nagrinėja paties principo ir su juo susijusių sąvokų turinį. Pateikiama tarptautinė teisminė praktika dėl pacta tertiis principo aiškinimo. Išnagrinėjama pacta tertiis principo išimtis. Atskleidžiamas „trečiųjų šalių“ sąvokos turinys. Trečiojoje darbo dalyje autorė aptaria Tarptautinio Baudžiamojo Teismo subsidiarumo principo, betarpiškai susijusio su pacta tertiis, egzistavimą ir universalumo „elementus“... [to full text] / This work of master theses is intended to survey the relation between the principle of international treaty law: pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt and provisions of Statute of International Criminal Court. The author considers as the main assignment of this work – the relevance of provisions of International Criminal Court Statute in historical and formalization aspects and also in context of pacta tertiis principle. The research encompasses three parts. In the first part the author discusses the settlement of jurisdiction of International Criminal Court, while analysing the travaux preparatories. Further, the detailed analysis and comments on jurisdictional provisions are given. The jurisdictional grounds such as ratione materiae, ratione temporis, ratione personae and ratione loci, the trigger mechanisms are being analysed further. Moreover, the role of United Nations‘ Security Council towards implementation of Statute provisions is discussed. The second part is assigned to revealing the historical settlement of pacta tertiis principle, it‘s formalization in international law of treaties and analysing the substance of pacta tertiis principle and other relative concepts. Judicial practice for interpreting pacta tertiis is also introduced. The exception to pacta tertiis rule is also scrutinized as well as the concept of the „third states“. The third part encompasses the elements of universality in the Statute and the principle of subsidiarity, which is closely related to... [to full text]

The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to design helical antennas that provide a significantly larger bandwidth than conventional helices with the same size. Over the bandwidth of operation, the GA-optimized helix offers considerably smaller axial-ratio and slightly higher gain than the conventional helix. Also, the input resistance remains relatively constant over the bandwidth. On the other hand, for nearly the same bandwidth and gain, the GA-optimized helix offers a size reduction of 2:1 relative to the conventional helix. The optimization is achieved by allowing the genetic algorithm to control a polynomial that defines the envelope around which the helix is wrapped. The fitness level is defined as a combination of gain, bandwidth and axial ratio as determined by an analysis of the helix using NEC2. To experimentally verify the optimization results, a prototype 12-turn, two-wavelength high, GA-helix is built and tested on the Virginia Tech outdoor antenna range. Far-field radiation patterns are measured over a wide frequency range. The axial-ratio information is extracted from the measured pattern data. Comparison of measured and NEC-2 computed radiation patterns shows excellent agreement. The agreement between the measured and calculated axial-ratios is reasonable. The prototype GA-helix provides a peak gain of more than 13 dB and an upper-to-lower frequency ratio of 1.89. The 3-dB bandwidth of the antenna is 1.27 GHz (1.435 GHz - 2.705 GHz). Over this bandwidth the computed gain varies less than 3 dB and the axial-ratio remains below 3 dB. / Master of Science

The purpose of this review of literature is to understand the current state of the science and to make recommendations for practice and research in regards to the gastrointestinal condition affecting premature infants, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Emphasis is placed on reviewing the literature to identify prevention strategies nurses can use to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of NEC. The introduction will focus on discussing the problem of NEC including its risk factors, pathophysiology, and disease presentation. The findings sections will focus on the most promising and researched areas of intervention. The discussion section will focus on how this knowledge can be translated into practice and what nurses can do about it. The research will be conducted through nursing databases with conceptual primary sources that will further expand upon the selected studies on this topic.

Objective: To identify statistical associations with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) severity as dichotomized into cases with Bell stage II and III disease. Study Design: We conducted a retrospective study using eight consecutive years of data from a multihospital healthcare system analyzed NEC severity (Bell stage II vs. III). Results: We identified 220 neonates with stage ≥ II who had 225 separate episodes of NEC (157 stage II and 68 stage III). Those with stage III were born at earlier gestational age (P<0.0001) and lower birth weight (P<0.0001). Diagnosis of NEC occurred on about the same day of life in stage II and stage III cases. Those who developed stage III had significantly higher C-reactive protein (P<0.0001), I/T ratio (P= 0.0005), mean platelet volume (MPV) (P= 0.0001) and lower pH (P<0.0001) and platelet counts (P<0.0001). Transfusions were more common to those who progressed to stage III (P<0.0001). Regression analysis indicated higher odds of stage III in relationship to the volume of RBC transfusions (OR 2.41, {CI 1.85 to 3.11}, P<0.0001) and pasteurized human milk (PHM) (OR 1.32, {CI 1.07 to 1.62}, P = 0.0089). In contrast, feeding early mother's own milk (colostrum) for five days reduced the odds for stage III (OR 0.802, {CI 0.67 to 0.96}, P=0.0170). Those with small bowel resection were less likely to have received mother's own milk before NEC (OR 0.94, {CI 0.89 to 0.99}, P = 0.019) and factors predicting death from NEC were a low pH (OR 2.21, {CI 1.27 to 3.85}, P = 0.0005) and less colostrum (OR 0.96, {CI 0.94 to 0.99}, P = 0.003). Conclusions: RBC transfusions and PHM increased the odds for stage III NEC, whereas early mother's own milk five days reduced the odds. Mother's own milk with PHM decreased the risk for small bowl resection and early mother's milk decreased the odds for mortality from NEC. Future research and prospective randomized controlled studies are needed to quantify any reduction in NEC severity on the basis of decreasing RBC transfusions and increasing early mother's own milk or colostrum.

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Helices are broadband antennas that provide moderate gain, largely real input impedance and circular polarization when operating in the axial mode regime. A modified form of the helix, the spherical helix, has been shown to yield similar polarization and gain characteristics over a narrow bandwidth but a much larger beamwidth. This investigation examines multifilar hemispherical helices and produces two specific designs with some desirable radiation characteristics. The side-fed quadrifilar helix and the top-fed bifilar helix are the new hemispherical designs which are studied in detail both numerically and experimentally. The Numerical Electromagnetics Code 4 is used to analyze the radiation characteristics of the proposed multifilar hemispherical helices. Directivity, E- and H-plane radiation patterns, axial ratio and input impedance of a few example designs are calculated. Measurements, taken in the anechoic chamber at the Virginia Tech antenna range, generally confirmed the simulation results. It is shown that the bifilar hemispherical helix provides a flat gain curve over the measured bandwidth (~14%) and generally elliptical polarization with near circular polarization in limited case. / Master of Science